Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
The Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line is a chess opening classified as ECO B54, reached after 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6. It is a line of the Sicilian Defense. White is to move. 7 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 56,894 times by this move order. White won 47%, 5% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nc3 (88% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.31 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6)
- ECO
- B54
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/3p1n2/8/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,765 | |
| 1500-1999 | 28,691 | |
| 2000+ | 24,438 | |
| All | 56,894 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nc3 | 49,974 (88%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 3,412 (6%) | |
| 5. f3 Prins Variation | 1,681 (3%) | |
| 5. Bb5+ | 749 (1%) | |
| 5. Bc4 Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit | 353 (1%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 213 (0%) | |
| 5. Nd2 | 90 (0%) | |
| 5. c4 | 67 (0%) |
Master games
3,740 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 21%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- Stoofvlees II a14 (3846) – LCZero v0.24-sv-t60-3010 (3958) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-04-07
- LCZero v0.24-sv-t60-3010 (3958) – Stoofvlees II a14 (3846) 1-0 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-04-04
- Stoofvlees II a14 (3846) – Komodo 2503.05 (3912) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-04-05
- Komodo 2503.05 (3912) – Stoofvlees II a14 (3846) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 20 Premier 2020 · 2020-04-01
- Stockfish dev-20260318-d173a06 (3807) – Reckless 0.10.0-dev-b5462f11 (3763) 1-0 · TCEC 29 Superfinal 2026 · 2026-04-13
Search all games of the Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Main Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM Kostik_Mostik (2890) – Nana_jede_cevape (2910) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- GM cutemouse83 (2908) – IM AngelitoRT (2883) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Sunrise34 (2867) – barteljaap-jan (2910) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Sicilian Defense (3. d4 cxd4) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4
Continuations
- Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations, Ginsberg Gambit B54 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Bc4
- Sicilian Defense: Prins Variation B54 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. f3
- Sicilian Defense: Classical Variation (5. Nc3 Nc6) B56 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6
- Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation (5. Nc3 g6) B70 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6
- Sicilian Defense: Kupreichik Variation B56 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bd7
- Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation (5. Nc3 a6) B90 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6
- Sicilian Defense: Venice Attack B56 · 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Bb5+
More Sicilian Defense lines (all)
- Sicilian Defense (1. e4 c5) B20
- Sicilian Defense: Amazon Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Big Clamp Formation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Bowdler Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Brick Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack B20
- Sicilian Defense: Czerniak Attack, Queen Fianchetto Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Euwe Attack, Prins Gambit B20
- Sicilian Defense: Gloria Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Grob Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: Keres Variation B20
- Sicilian Defense: King David's Opening B20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.